Chapter 459

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Protagonist:

Lin En

Lena

At the spire's peak, Atia gazed down at the routed human armies below, her face devoid of any ripple.

To her, this was merely an insignificant step in the plan.

Her true objective had never been to crush this motley united army.

"The Tyranid's host..."

She whispered softly, her gaze turning toward the Upper City's direction, settling on Saint Galus Castle's position.

That human with the unique soul aura, that prey entangled by the newborn Hive Mind, was the ultimate target of this trip.

Catch him, and she could follow the vine to find the melon, locating that Tyranid swarm hidden in the dark.

"Time to close the net."

Simultaneously, Saint Galus Castle, Underground Third Floor.

Lin En finally linked up with the Upper City elite troops who had come to rescue.

Leading the team was the State Religion's Battle Sister Captain, clad in blood-stained black Power Armor, expression resolute:

"Governor Sir, the Chaos Believers on the Outer Areas have been torn open a gap by us, the route has been cleared clean, please come with us."

Lin En nodded, his gaze sweeping over the underground battlefield behind him.

Luna's Disaster Army was still putting up a desperate resistance, but could no longer amount to anything.

"Leave two squads to continue pinning down the underground enemies, the rest, follow me out."

He did not hesitate in the slightest.

Right now the Middle City battle situation was chaotic, Atia leading the Thousand Sons Legion was advancing steadily, dragging on further would have unthinkable consequences.

The most urgent task was to break out of the castle and regain overall Command Authority.

The group advanced rapidly along the cleared passage, soon reaching Saint Galus Castle's main gate square.

Just as they stepped out the castle gate, Lin En's footsteps fiercely halted.

He raised his head to look at the sky.

The heavy lead-gray dark clouds above the Upper City, at this moment, strangely began to burn.

Orange-red and dark-blue intertwined flames rolled in the cloud layer, the air permeated with a restless yet decaying Psyker Aura, pressing down so one could not breathe.

Bad!

Lin En's heart gave a jolt, without thinking he shouted sternly:

"Fall back! Everyone immediately retreat into the castle! Fast!"

The soldiers beside him froze for a moment, but years of discipline still made them instinctively turn around.

But it was already too late.

The next second, from within the burning fire clouds, countless streaks of colorful Psyker Flame Rain poured down like a deluge.

These flames were not scorching hot like ordinary flames, yet carried even more terrifying lethality.

They easily penetrated the soldiers' Armor, touching skin they directly burned the soul.

"Ah!!!"

Miserable shrieks instantly rose and fell in succession.

The accompanying mortal elite soldiers fell to the ground, frantically rolling, roaring, yet unable to extinguish the Psyker Flames on their bodies no matter what.

In mere seconds, dozens of people were burned until body and spirit were both destroyed.

Only the Battle Sisters, relying on faith's blessing, raising Holy Relics to prop up Faith Shields, barely resisted the fire rain's onslaught.

The Gene Thief officers in the squad, relying on their powerful Green Skin Virus Body and Psyker resistance, though pale-faced, could still maintain combat power, one by one dragging the mortal soldiers beside them to retreat into the castle.

Lin En stood at the castle doorway, raising his head to dead-stare at the sky.

The fire clouds slowly split apart to both sides.

A figure stepped on a spinning Floating Oddity Disc, slowly descending from within the flames.

He wore a deep blue Sorcerer Gown embroidered with gold trim, his Helmet adorned with iconic large bull horns.

The gem atop his staff constantly shifted colors, surrounded by jumping rainbow-colored Psyker Flames.

Terrifying Psyker Pressure pressed down like substance, making everyone on the square breathless.

Knowledge Cult High Sorcerer — Atia.

He looked down from above at Lin En at the doorway, the corner of his mouth hooking a trace of playful smile.

"Finally found you, human entangled by the Tyranids."

Amidst the surging fire clouds, Atia stood on the spinning Floating Oddity Disc suspended in mid-air, the rainbow gem atop his Magic Wand flowing with bizarre light.

He looked down from above at Lin En at the castle doorway, his voice penetrating layers of fire rain, clearly landing in everyone's ears.

Lin En's knuckles gripping the Valenia Sword were somewhat white, his heart sinking to the bottom of the valley.

He didn't need to guess to know that Atia expended such great effort to break through the defensive line, personally blocking Saint Galus Castle's doorway, the target was definitely only one.

Him, this "human" with a special relationship to the Tyranid Bug Race.

Previously underground he could still maneuver using the complex terrain, but now in the open castle square, blocked in front and pursuers behind, the situation had already deteriorated to the extreme.

"Protect Governor Sir! Form defensive formation!"

The Battle Sister Captain shouted sternly, but the next second, the earth fiercely shook.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Several Hell Beasts towering meters high crashed through the fire clouds, slamming heavily onto the ground of the square.

Thick feet trod the floor tiles until they cracked; twisted metal shells were wound with Tzeentch's rainbow runes.

The Hell Engines in their chests let out explosive roars, spewing Psyker Flame that reeked of sulfur.

The heavy weapons on their shoulders slowly rotated their cannon mouths, taking aim at the hastily formed human soldiers.

Following close behind them were endless Tzeentch Demons.

Fire Demons burst from the fire clouds as rainbow-colored phantoms, shrieking as they pounced on the crowd.

Blue and Red Fear Demons grinned hideously in the air, Psyker missiles pouring down ceaselessly; there were also massive Chaos Eggs, dragging distorted limbs as they rampaged through the ruins.

The fire rain kept falling, demons kept surging; the already small rescue team was instantly pressed until they could barely breathe.

"Open fire!"

The Vanguard Army elites, bracing against the castle pillars and statue cover, unleashed the rattling roar of heavy grenade launchers.

Bullets struck sparks off the Hell Beasts' armor, yet struggled to pierce that layer of metal shell blessed by Chaos.

Combat Nuns advanced with flamethrowers; wherever the Holy Flame passed, lesser demons let out miserable shrieks, turning into wisps of green smoke.

But there were too many demons.

They seemed impossible to kill completely, surging endlessly from the fire clouds.

Front-row soldiers had just cut down one Fear Demon when another demon tore open a comrade's throat from behind.

Mighty psychic attacks slammed into the position incessantly; every explosion kicked up a patch of blood mist.

Lin En drew his sword; the Valenia Sword ignited with pale golden Holy Flame.

He sidestepped an incoming Psyker Ray, blade sweeping horizontally, bisecting two Pink Horrors that had lunged close.

The Holy Flame seared the demons' Warp bodies, emitting sizzling sounds.

Yet his strength alone could not hold the entire defensive line.

The battle line fell back step by step.

Soldiers' casualties climbed rapidly; the elite rescue battalion of originally hundreds lost nearly half in less than a quarter hour.

The castle square's ground was already soaked in blood; corpses stacked like blocks before the defensive line, forming a flesh wall.

Worse news came from behind.

"Governor Sir! Chaos Knights have appeared in the rear! Eight total! Charging straight at us!"

The communication soldier's roar carried despair, transmitting through the noisy battlefield into Lin En's ears.

Lin En fiercely turned his head.

Only to see, at the end of the castle avenue, eight twisted Chaos Knight Mechas charging at full speed.

Their armor was carved full of Tzeentch runes, weapons flickering with Psyker Light; buildings and barricades along the way were like paper before them, easily smashed to pieces.

The leader was a Hellfire Dragon — Lin En knew it all too well — it was Luna.

She had actually broken through the underground blockade and pursued him out.

Lin En understood in an instant.

Atia wanted to capture him to study the Tyranid secret and offer it to the Lord of Change.

Luna wanted to capture him to steal credit, proving she was Tzeentch's most favored believer.

Two of Tzeentch's lackeys, at this moment both racing against time, both wanting to be the first to seize him and exchange him for the Lord of Change's favor.

High Sorcerers and Hell Beasts in front, Chaos Knight army behind.

Attacked from front and rear, no escape even with wings.

Lin En watched soldiers fall one by one beside him, watched the Combat Nuns' Holy Light barrier grow ever dimmer.

Chaos floods closed in from both front and rear; a sense of powerlessness and despair surged uncontrollably from the bottom of his heart.

Was he really going to fall here today?

He gripped his sword tight, fingers trembling slightly.

Not fear — reluctance.

He still had Brevis to protect, still had Lena waiting for him, still had countless things left undone.

But demons had already reached before his eyes, Hell Beast cannon mouths already aimed at his position, and the roaring of Knight Mechas behind drew ever closer.

The elite warriors beside him, only a scant few remained, still guarding him with their lives.

But just at this critical moment, a clear dragon's chant suddenly cut through the battlefield's clamor.